You know, there's a product that (IMHO) none of the cheesemaking retailers carry right now.

I'm fairly certain that spruce boards to age cheese on are not in anyone's inventory. When I went looking, it was difficult to even find spruce lumber local to where I live. I had to travel up to Seattle to find mine. Other folks may want to put spruce ripening boards to work in their process but don't have a clue where to get the boards. If they were fortunate enough to locate a source for the spruce, then there's the cutting to size and finishing. I was lucky that my Dad has the woodworking shop to complete my boards. I think if someone offered boards in a couple sizes that would fit into typical ripening boxes, they would fill a cheesemaking niche.

Cedar is very different from spruce and would not make a good choice at all. Too much cedar aroma ... I am sure that would taint your cheeses and cheese cave. Once upon a time chests were made of cedar to store clothes and such in since the smell of the wood would keep away moths.

Somewhere I read that birch would be a decent choice....white oak also. If I had my dad's woodshop I might make an attempt to fill the niche...he has/had virtually every kind of wood working gizmo you can think of. LoL he had a shopsmith but got tired of changing the configuration so he set it up as a lathe and then bought a table band saw, etc etc.

I thought the boards were supposed to be rough cut boards, not planed or sanded at all. That's what I've read. Of course, the ends and edges could be planed and sanded I suppose....if one needed to have a good reason to buy tools! (I have sympathy with you there!)

Spruce Is Hard to find any more because it was only used for trim around the eves of the house or around window or door trim so you will have to fined it at a hard wood retailer becaues it is not use much on houses any more just for cabinets or fine wood working sorry I know it is not about cheese only your wood topic.have fun making cheese Stan

Spruce is easy to find where I live. This type of deal is very regional. I'm guessing there's lots of fir up in the PNW. Not sure at all which woods would be good or not for this. But spruce and tools? I have that. Hmmm.

Got a whole bunch of Spruce boards recently from a small local sawmill to put in my aging room. Now I am trying to fill these boards with cheese. I made my first two batches last week. Here is the result so far.

Boofer, why spruce and not any of the other fine species of wood we have in the PNW?

Okay, suggestions for cheese ripening? I'm a newbie in this arena and all I've seen referenced are spruce. I think there's a thread or two that discuss possible alternatives.

From this thread:"The shelves I use here are a mix of pine and ash. These 2 materials I find to work quite well and are easy to keep clean. Other woods such as oak and maple are somewhat problematic in that they stain the cheeses."

I just thought it unusual that no one seems to sell boards of any kind.

Got a whole bunch of Spruce boards recently from a small local sawmill to put in my aging room. Now I am trying to fill these boards with cheese. I made my first two batches last week. Here is the result so far.

Our native hem and fir right over from Shelton or anywhere past that on 12 or nearby areas work just fine. So does pine. Find a sawmill and you can buy the rough cut slabs straight from the bandsaw. Dry them out and you'll be set.

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I have to correct something: Part of it they transformed into wood for floors, but they have also wood that is unchanged and originates from cheese warehouses. For that you pay about 3 euro's for a shelf of 25-35 cm deep, 110-130 cm long and 15-22 mm thick. And that's a nice price...